Paper napkin



E. C. MORRIS May 24, 1938.

Original Filed April 19, 1935 INVENTOR. 201.54 C. fl/O/PIQI-S.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented May 1938 PATENT OFFlCE 2,118,472 PAPER mum:

Elmer 0. Morris, Chicago, IlL, assignor to Marathon Paper Mills Company, Rothschild, Win, a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 19, 1935, Serial No. 17,23! Renewed February 10, 1938 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-51) My invention relates to'improvements in paper napkins.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved type of folded paper napkin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved type of folded paper napkin that is superior to any of the similar napkins on the market.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved folded napkin of the type described which can be efliciently dispensed from either closed dispensers or open holders.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved folded paper napkin with cross-wise folds of many thicknesses spaced from the top and extending around both sides and one edge of a napkin, thus reinforcing both sides and giving added strength and support to the body of so each napkin to maintain said napkin in an up right position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved folded napkin so folded that individual napkins will be capable of self-supa port in holders, thus avoiding the top-heaviness I of ordinary napkins and preventing the napkins from bending over from top-heaviness, damp atmosphere, or from the effects of steam or air currents produced by electric fans or otherwise.

A further object of the invention is to provide a napkin so folded that an edge portion will be presented cross-wise on both sides of each napkin spaced from the top of the napkin which may be easily grasped to remove one napkin at 'a time from enclosed or open holders.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved napkin so folded that when the same is removed from the container it will tend to unfold as it is withdrawn, thereby partia'llycom- 4o pleting the unfolding of the napkin bythe simple act of removing the same from the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved napkin so folded that the napkin is shorter and more compact so that pack- 45 ages of the same will occupy less space and that smaller holders may be utilized, thus effecting the desired results of the use of napkin holders of lower constructions for counter and table service.

'A further object is to provide a napkin so folded 50 that there will be a. space between the upper ends of adjoining napkins thereby making it much less difficult to remove one napkin at a time from open holders.

A further object is to provide a method of fold- 65 ing the same whereby only a few short and simple steps are required to secure the completed fold, thereby making it possible to manufacture the same on high speed automatic machinery very efllciently and at a low cost.

A further object is to provide a napkin that is 6 easily made in quantity, is comparatively simple to fold anddue to its reduced size easilyand' cheaply transported.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein 10 reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawing upon which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a square paper napkin before the same has been folded;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view after the 5 first fold has been made;

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view after the second fold has been made;

Fig. 4 is a similar perspective view after the third fold has been made;

Fig. 5 is a side perspective view of a folded napkin;

Fig. 6 is a side perspective view of an open I container having a plurality of my improved napkins positioned therein; andv Fig. 7 is a similar perspective view of a. closed container having a plurality of my improved napkins positioned therein.

In carrying out my invention I have shown a square napkin N which may be formed of any desired or suitable paper, fabric or other similar material. By the use of comparatively simple paper folding machinery, I provide a vertical fold along the dotted line iii to form the double thickness fold of the napkin shown in Fig. 2. This fold may be obtained by running the paper napkin over a V-shaped former. From the V-shaped former and after this operation has been completed, the napkins are adapted to be run down between feed rollers to a point where a tucker plate forms a transverse fold on the line l2, thus giving a folded napkin, as shown in Fig. 3, with the portion I l folded up to provide four thicknesses of material throughout the breadth of this fold and two thicknesses of material in the remaining portion of the napkin.

With the napkin in the condition shown in Fig.

3, it is adapted to be conveyed forward to have the third operation performed thereon. This operation consists in extending a tuckerplate along the upper edge iii of the previous fold and folding the napkin along this line so that after this operation is completed, the portion I! will be folded inwardly as shown. The portion ill will be parallel throughout and an upper exposed portion 20 of the napkin will be unfolded except for the first half fold that has been described. 7

In this condition the napkin is adapted to be conveyed forward in a vertical plane and receive a vertical fold of the entire napkin to provide the folded napkin 30, as shown in Fig. 5. The napkin thus folded can be seen to have four thicknesses of material in the upper portion 32 thereof and twelve thicknesses of material in the lower portion thereof.- Napkins constructed in this manner are capable of being placed in either an open or a closed container and may be dispensed from either with many advantages over napkins folded in any other manner.

Thus, for example, in Fig. 6 I have shown a container 36 having the vertical side walls 38 defining a compartment 40 within which a plurality of napkins may be positioned for disposal. As shown by the dotted indications of the forefinger and thumb, it is a comparatively simple matter to grasp the upper portion 32 of a single napkin becaues of the fact that at this point it is separated due to the thickness of the portion 30 thereof.

If a napkin is grasped upon one side of the portion 30 and withdrawn from the holder, it will have a tendency to automatically unfold and thus by the time the same has been completely removed from the container, the napkin will be practically unfolded, thus providing a function which is not found in any other napkin of the prior art.

A further advantage of the construction shown resides in the fact that when a comparatively few napkins are positioned in the open-ended container, the napkins not being top-heavy do not vhave a tendency to bend over or collapse due to the fact that for the majority of their height they are re-enforced bythe comparatively large number of folds provided.

In Fig. 7, I have shown a closed container 52 provided with a base and vertical side walls 66 completely enclosing the napkins except for the opening 48 formed in one of the side walls thereof. Napkins may be withdrawn from the container through the opening 58 by grasping the upper edge of the portion 30' and pulling outwardly thereon. Due to the fact that the napkin is fixedly held around its entire edge, the unfolding action which takes place because of the withdrawal of the napkin from the container is even more pronounced than that which takes place when removing a napkin from the container 36.

It will further be evident that while I have shown as a preferred form a double horizontal fold before the second vertical fold in the napkin, a single fold such as shown in Fig. 3 may be employed and a completed napkin furnished by providing a vertical fold to the napkin in the position shown in Fig. 3. This is sometimes desirable especially in smaller size napkins.

The advantages attendant upon this form of fold are similar to those in the previous form and I desire it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the type of fold shown in the preferred form. I have found that it may be desirable to provide three or even four horizontal folds and do not wish to limit myself to the specific details shown.

I contemplate that changes and variations may be made and do not wish to be limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A folded napkin to be stored in and dispensed from a napkin dispenser, comprising a rectangular sheet of paper folded along its median line to form single plyleaves coextensive with each other, having said leaves-folded together along a line at right angles to said first mentioned fold to provide two plural ply portions in face contact with each other with one of said portions terminating in spaced relation to the top edge of the other portion, and having said two plural ply portions folded together along a line at right angles to said second fold with the shorter portion folded around the other portion to give the product a compact form for self support on edge and to provide tabs at both faces for the removal of the folded napkin from the dispenser.

2. A folded napkin to be stored in and dispensed from a napkin dispenser, comprising a rectangular sheet of paper folded along its median line to form single ply leaves coextensive with each other, having said leaves folded together along a plurality of lines at right angles to said first named fold to provide two plural ply portions in face contact with each other with one of said portions terminating in spaced relation to the top edge of the other portion, and having said two plural ply portions folded together along a line at right angles to said second fold with the shorter portion folded around the other portion to give the product a compact form for self support on edge and to provide tabs at both faces for the removal of the folded napkin from the dispenser.

ELMER. C. MORRIS. 

